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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23871427">Doesn't It Bother You?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viper_Flower/pseuds/Viper_Flower'>Viper_Flower</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hermitcraft RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Advice, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Area 77, Feels, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, area 77-centric</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:15:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,019</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23871427</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viper_Flower/pseuds/Viper_Flower</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Doc doesn't know what Area 77 had become. That's not good.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Docm77 &amp; GoodTimesWithScar, No Romantic Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Doesn't It Bother You?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Doc lay on his cot in the bunks at Area 77. He and Scar had spent so much time there, it was feeling more like home than his actual base. For the past few days, everything had started to become overwhelming. The hippies outside their boarders started to act like an actual threat than a peaceful protest as they claimed to be. Spying, setting up ways into the base, it was all suspicious and worrying. Doc covered his eyes with his arm, hating the constant paranoia of someone sneaking in and getting caught up in something dangerous. Didn’t they understand this was for everyone’s safety? What if someone went through that broken portal and got stuck on the other side, or what if they got attacked by one of the “live experiments” Cub was making? Doc didn’t condone animal cruelty, but he was all for anything in the name of science. Well, maybe not anything, but still, he was terrified of one of the monsters getting out.</p>
<p>Monster. He’d heard that word too often. Doc sighed, and let himself sit upright on the cot. Without really thinking, he wandered the halls of the offices, gazing inside at the mindless scientists hard at work and the soldiers watching over them. All the facilities had blacked out the glass, but Doc had programmed his robotic eye to look through it. </p>
<p>While staring into an empty office in a deserted wing, Doc was startled by someone doing the “I’d say excuse me but I don’t care enough for that” cough. He looked down, glaring at who would just cough at the man in charge of the whole facility. His gaze softened only the slightest when he saw a hunched-over person in a janitor’s uniform with a cleaning cart and mop. They had lavender hair pulled into a messy ponytail under a cap, and their similarly lavender eyes had dark circles under them.</p>
<p>“‘Scuse me, sir, gotta do my job.” They turned away and held their keycard up to unlock the door. Doc stole a look at the ID, and read “L” printed on the card where the name went. He watched as L grumbled when the keycard didn’t work. “Damn, cheap, piece of crap plastic, the fourth time this happened tonight, freaking-”</p>
<p>“Allow me,” Doc interrupted, holding his palm to the scanner. The light turned green, and there was an audible “clank” as the heavy lock unlocked. L grinned and tipped their hat at him.</p>
<p>“That’s damn handy, eh? Thank ya, sir.” They cackled at their pun and pushed open the door. Doc fought a smile, and let his feet guide him into the room. He watched, somewhat with interest, as L bustled around the room, wiping down keyboards and mopping up suspicious glowing blood splatter.</p>
<p>“May I ask a question, Dr. L?” Doc pondered aloud, not quite sure of how to address this odd person in front of him. L laughed, sharp and witchy.</p>
<p>“No need for formalities, sir. I’m no doctor, just little old L.” L gave Doc a small wink and went back to cleaning the whiteboard in front of them. “But of course, what’s on your mind?” Doc looked at his hands and took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair.</p>
<p>“Doesn’t it bother you at all? Like, this is a top-secret government facility, we do horrible things, there’s a constant threat of dang hippies breaking in, and you just- just sit here and clean!” Doc waved his arms about, pulling at his hair and pacing. “We’ve created monsters, which makes us worse than what we’ve made. We hold countless secrets here! Everything, literally everything, is classified! I’m not sure even the scientists know exactly what we hired them to do, what I hired them to do!” Doc stopped suddenly and turned quickly to look at L. Their exhausted and slightly bored look completely shut him down, and he slumped against the wall and slid to the floor. “Do you even know what’s going on here? Do I even know?” He covered his face with his arms, waiting for L to just leave him there in his misery. Doc felt bad for just dumping this all on them, but it also felt good to get it all off his chest. Doc heard a sigh and peeked over his arm to see L walk towards him. They stopped right in front of him, a mop in one hand and the other on their hip. Their stance said it all; he was in for it.</p>
<p>“I don’t know much sir,” L began, and Doc’s heart sunk. “But I do know this; I’ve seen a lot in my time here. If you weren’t aware, I was one of the first people you hired. I’ve seen things some could only imagine, things from nightmares, and things you couldn’t understand if you tried a whole lifetime to. I’ve seen too much. I’ve probably seen more than you.” Every word brought Doc more and more despair. He truly didn’t know much about the place he was supposedly in charge of. </p>
<p>“But I also know that you’re the man who made this place. That’s right, I may be criminally underpaid, but I ain’t no fool. You’re Mister DocM77, the head of Area 77, and a good man.” Doc was caught off guard at the last part, his shock showing on his face. “You wanna protect all of the hermits from anomalies? Figure out the anomaly that’s your very own creation.” L looked around the office, sighed, and tipped their cap over their eyes. “This place has been making the things you swore to destroy since the start.” They looked down at him, standing proud and tall, and there was power radiating off of them. “You have authority, right? Use it correctly, and something good may come of it.” L reached a hand towards Doc and pulled him off the floor. </p>
<p>“But- I hardly know what’s going on!” Doc cried, keeping L’s hand grasped firmly in his own. “How am I supposed to fix it if I don’t understand what’s going on, and even if I did, how do I start?” L looked thoughtful for a moment, gazing deep into his soul through his wide eyes. They huffed softly, pulled their hand away, and whacked him around the head.</p>
<p>“Start by listening to those around you with some good old common sense. That includes that little voice in your head, it knows what’s up.” Doc stared at L as they put all their cleaning supplies back onto their cart. “And don’t be afraid to ask for help. That pal of yours, Mr. Scar, he’s a generous man.” They paused and pulled a small note from their pocket “He helped me once too, y'know. My first night I got locked in the same room as a were-rabbit. He saved me, and gave me that advice; ‘Don’t be afraid to ask for help, L,’ that’s what Mr. Scar said.” L turned and put the note in Doc’s hand, curling his fingers around it. “Mr. Scar knows what’s up. Go ask him.” With a nod and a tip of their cap, L steered their cart out the door. Doc stood still for a moment, then raced to the door, finding them almost to the elevator.</p>
<p>“How can I repay you for your advice?” Doc called after them, not sure he was in his right mind. L looked back, still walking, and smirked. </p>
<p>“How about a raise?” They cackled loudly, the sound reverberating through the hall. Before Doc could fully process what they said, L had entered the elevator and the doors had closed. Doc stood in the hall for a few minutes, staring blankly at the elevator doors, before he realized he was still holding the note. He unfolded it, getting a small cut in the process, and read the scratchy handwriting.</p>
<p>“And don’t follow stupid sentimental anecdotes written on worn-down paper, dumbass!” He read silently. He gawked at the note, offended and humored. All Doc’s walls had crumbled to the ground, brought down by a minimum-wage janitor with a wit as sharp as the papercut he got from the note in his hands. Every emotion was running through his head, knocking over lamps and flipping tables. </p>
<p>Doc snorted. Then chuckled. Then burst out laughing, unable to hold it in. He just got destroyed, and he was perfectly okay with it! In truth, he was more than okay, this was exactly what he needed; some bitter truth shoved through his thick skull. He stood in the empty hall, unable to stop laughing, suddenly aware he was crying as well. Some more time passed, and Doc was now hiccupping, sitting against the wall with his legs outstretched. A peaceful smile rested on his lips, and he was so caught up in his mind he couldn’t hear footsteps approaching,</p>
<p>“Doc?” The man looked up and saw his good buddy Scar standing in front of him, a confused look across his face. “Man, it’s nearly sunrise, what’re you doing out here?” Doc sighed, and let Scar help him up.</p>
<p>“Just thinking… man, we sure got too deep in this whole ‘top-secret government facility’ thing, eh?” Doc mused, walking towards the stairs that lead to the roof. Scar followed him, obviously confused.</p>
<p>“Well, I mean, you wanted to focus on keeping everyone away from all the anomalies of the server,” Scar said, more like a question than a fact. “I guess it just… evolved from there.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I guess it did,” Doc repeated, climbing the steps to the roof. He opened the door and walked over the roof to face the rising sun. He saw Scar walk up beside him, and together, they watched the world move forward. Below them, unspeakable horrors were being made, and the thought wouldn’t stop bugging Doc. “But it’s time to stop it. I’ve gone too far, and dragged you with me.” Doc looked at his robotic hand. “I’m done with all this stupid top-secret stuff. I’ve become the thing I swore to destroy.” He turned when he heard Scar chuckle, and saw his friend smile.</p>
<p>“Sounds like you’ve been talking to L. Did they stuff the same wisdom into your brain as they did mine?” Scar asked, sitting down and dangling his legs off the roof.</p>
<p>“They said you were the one to help them. Said you saved them from a were-rabbit.” Doc looked confused, and Scar laughed loudly, the sound carried away by the wind.</p>
<p>“Nah, they saved me! I almost died, and nearly lost all my stuff. They whacked the were-rabbit with a mop and told me to be more careful. They sounded much more elegant than I say, it was a ‘heat of the moment’ thing.” Scar explained, taking off his hat and running his fingers through his hair. Doc nodded, looking off at the sun. In the distance, he could see the hippie RV park, and beyond that a hermit flying across the horizon towards Hermit Land. Suddenly, a thought struck him.</p>
<p>“Is it too late to take their advice, do you think? Like, fix what I’ve done?” Scar looked up at Doc, and his stern face seemed pensive.</p>
<p>“It’s never too late to save a ruined build, right? Yeah, sometimes we have to tear it down and rebuild it, but however tedious it may be to take down each block, the finished product is always worth it.” Doc nodded, but Scar continued. “Sometimes you don’t even need to take it down, just look at it from a different angle in a different light.” Scar winked and pointed at the large domain that was Area 77. “You just have to think, ‘What could this be, if not what it is?’ If that makes sense.” Scar chuckled at his ramblings. “Whatever, I’m just ranting.”</p>
<p>“No, no, that makes sense. In fact,” Doc grinned and looked down at his companion. “I’ve got an idea. Everyone likes cryptids and weird stuff, right? They think it’s fun.” Scar nodded, obviously not sure where Doc was taking this.</p>
<p>“What do you think about a theme park?”</p>
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